Additional Support Needs

1. Thornlie Primary complies with the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 as amended by the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009.

2. North Lanarkshire Council’s policy is contained within “Support for Learning Policy into Practice 2”, a copy of which is available in the School. The school has a Support for Learning Policy, available from the school on request, which is consistent with North Lanarkshire Council guidelines.

3. Thornlie pupils perceived as having possible additional support needs will go through a process possibly including identification, assessment, planning, provision and continual review, following the Learning and Leisure services staged intervention process, that is: 

Level 1 – Internal support, where education staff identify that a child or young person needs support or planning which can be met within the existing classroom or playroom setting. 

Level 2 – Internal support, where education staff identify that a child or young person needs support or planning from within the school or early years establishment. 

Level 3 – External support from within learning and leisure services, where it is identified that the child or young person requires support or planning from beyond the school or early years setting but within educational services 

Level 4 – External support provided on a multiagency basis, where the child or young person’s needs are identified as requiring support or planning from multiagency services and these support needs are likely to last for more than one year. Additional support needs may be short or long term and may relate to a whole variety of possibilities—family trauma, learning difficulties, emotional needs, hearing difficulties, visual impairment, physical disability, and more. Specialist services can be provided from a range of sources, including from North Lanarkshire’s Support Base or Outreach work from one of NLC’s units, depending on the needs.

4. For pupils with English as an additional language, support may also available, based on assessed needs

5. Looked After Children i.e. children who are cared for directly or whose care is supervised by the local authority are deemed to have Additional Support Needs unless assessment determines otherwise. Parents or guardians should inform the Head Teacher or the Principal Teacher with any concerns or questions in this regard.

6. Parents and young people can request an assessment to establish whether a child or young person has additional needs or requires a Co-ordinated Support Plan.

7. Parents and pupils are an essential part of the assessment, planning and review processes and your views will be actively sought. Parents and young people can request of the authority to establish whether a child has additional support needs. They can also request an assessment at any time.